This is his tale of struggles, sacrifice, and grit. The 23-year-old poorly-paid labourer in Bihar belonged to a poor family with a total income Rs 2,000-3,000 per month.

When persons who are qualified as engineers and technicians are unable to find jobs in today’s scenario, what about the fate of labourers? (Reuters)

When persons who are qualified as engineers and technicians are unable to find jobs in today’s scenario, what about the fate of labourers? Dileep Sahni grew up poor. This is his tale of struggles, sacrifice, and grit. The 23-year-old poorly-paid labourer in Bihar belonged to a poor family with a total income Rs 2,000-3,000 per month, reported the Hindustan Times. He worked as a farm labourer at Harda in Purnia district, which is 360 km northeast of the state capital Patna. The struggle was not just limited to the meagre income, the farm job also required the family to migrate 245km east of their home district Darbhanga to Purnia every year during makhana (fox nut) harvesting season from July to January, as per the report.

Wondering how Dileep completed his studies amid so much hardship? Prior to him, no one from his village had passed the Class 10 examination. Dileep passed the examination in first division from JNJV High School, Nawada, Benipur in 2011, as per the report. Later in 2013, he passed the Class 12 examination from Bahera College, Darbhanga. Schooling was also not easy for him. As per the report, he had to frequently travel to Purnia during makhana harvesting season to work as a labourer and earn some money.

The same year he cleared his higher secondary examination, he was offered admission to an engineering programme at Millennium Group of Institutions which is a private technical college in Bhopal. But the unrelenting struggle was not ready to leave Dileep. As per the report, he walked into various banks for education loans, but all his requests were turned down. Later when banks failed, his younger brother Vijay Sahni came forward to help. He took up a job in a tiles unit in Chennai to fund his elder brother’s study. Their father Laltuni Sahni would sell ice-cream in Nepal during non-harvesting season to send money to his son in Bhopal.

He was enrolled in an engineering college in Madhya Pradesh and for his academic performance in 2016, he received topper’s award from the state government. Fortune finally shone on him last month, when a leading steel company, the Sangam Group, offered him a job with a posting in Singapore on a package of Rs 8 lakh per annum. It’s just the beginning. Dileep said his ultimate dream is to help poor children who work as migrant makhana labourers to pursue their studies.

I am happy for the guy, but there is something seriously wrong. The ry of Rs. 8 lakh per annum is roughly 16800 Singaporean Dollars, with is barely above their minimum wage. I doubt whether he would be able to make a living there with that money, unless, accommodation and other expenses are taken care of by the company.